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Vacuum bombs Aerosol bombs Thermobaric bombs Thermobaric bombs (also referred to as fuel-air explosives (FAE)) are a series of explosive weaponry which uses atmospheric oxygen to increase the destructive potential. In contrast to the standard explosives, which have on board oxidizer, thermobaric munitions expel into the air a cloud of fuel usually a liquid, gas, or powdered explosive when striking the target. This is then added to a secondary charge to produce a tremendous fire ball, a lot of heat (as high as 2,500-3,000 C/3 or more) and a long blast wave producing great pressures and a vacuum effect. This may result in devastating wounds, such as torn lungs, inner bleeding, burns and suffocation by oxygen shortage. They are also useful in particular against fortified buildings, bunkers, tunnels, and any person trapped in a tight space since the explosion can bounce back and enter places the conventional bombs may not.

Thermobaric weapons have been deployed in wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Chechnya and Syria and it was developed during challenging times like World War II, but perfected by military units such as the US, Russia, etc. They are not outright prohibited by the international law but are debatable since they can be indiscriminate causing civilian casualties and worry about superfluous injury and unnecessary suffering under the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

An Al Jazeera investigation gave testimony in February 2026 that Israel had deployed US-supplied thermobaric and thermal weapons within Gaza making 2,842 Palestinians evaporate, leaving no trace other than blood, flesh fragments, or ash since October 2023. The report mentioned the MK-84 bomb, BLU-109 bunker buster and GBU-39 alone and accused that they produce temperature of up to 3500o C, which vaporizes human tissue. It even has been narrated by witnesses and experts that a scenario occurred where victims just disappeared after the banned weapons made fireballs and vacuum effect.

These are however not substantiated by critics and fact-checkers, such as Honest Reporting and military analysts. They assert that the mentioned weapons are not thermobaric explosives but conventional explosives that are tritonal (TNT and aluminum) and any actual thermobaric explosives do not completely vaporize bodies but leave behind major burns and explosions. The figure of 2,842 seems to be connected to the reports of the civil defense in Gaza on the missing persons, yet there is no independent confirmation on the vaporization through such weapons.. The figure of 2,842 seems to be connected to the reports of the civil defense in Gaza on the missing persons, yet there is no independent confirmation on the vaporization through such weapons. The demand to investigate the weapons used by Israel internationally continues, within a wider framework of allegations of the international law being applied in the war.

This scandal points to the ethical and legal questions of armory in the overpopulated regions.